The Yūtoku Inari Shrine
The Yūtoku Inari Shrine (祐徳稲荷神社) is dedicated to Inari, the deity whose messengers are foxes and revered for business prosperity, bountiful harvests, and protection from automobile accidents. It is one […]
Category Archives: Japan
A Day in Takeo Onsen
Takeo Onsen (武雄温泉) is a hot spring town in western Saga Prefecture that has a history of over 1300 years as an onsen resort destination. A stop on my recent Kyushu roadtrip, I visited the famous […]
Tōzan Jinja, the Potter’s Shrine
Together with the hidden village of Okawachiyama in the adjacent valley, the town of Arita (有田) in Saga Prefecture is considered the birthplace of Japanese porcelain ceramics. For four centuries […]
Okawachiyama: The Secret Porcelain Village
Hidden in a small valley surrounded by lush forest and jagged mountains lies the village of Okawachiyama (大川内山). Located in Saga prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu, this tiny […]
The Hells of Unzen
The Unzen-Amakusa National Park was established in 1934 as Japan’s first national park, and today spans Nagasaki, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima prefectures in southern Kyushu island. It’s name is derived from […]
Out and About: Nagasaki
Most people only know Nagasaki (長崎 – “Long Cape” in Japanese) as the second site of an atomic explosion, on August 9 1945 three days after the first attack at […]
Gunkanjima: Battleship Island
One of the most anticipated visits on my recent southern Japan tour was a trip to Hashima (端島), commonly known as Gunkanjima (軍艦島 – “Battleship Island”). Located some 15 kilometers […]
Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown
Alongside Yokohama and Kobe, Nagasaki’s Shinchi-macho district is one of Japan’s three designated Chinatowns. It is also the country’s oldest, dating back from well before the Edo Period. During Japan’s […]
